RASP Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

rasp 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rasp

as in scratch

a harsh grating sound the rusted lock opened with a rasp

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rasp

2 of 2

verb

ˈrasp

as in to rub

to make smooth by friction after sawing the board in half, rasp the ends to remove any splinters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to scratch

to pass roughly and noisily over or against a surface the sound of fingernails rasping on the blackboard makes me cringe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to annoy

to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts the two siblings seemed intent on rasping each other for the entire car trip

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to wear

to damage or diminish by continued friction during the last ice age, glaciers rasped the surface, leaving the deeply scarred rock

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rasp

Noun

Hines and Pidgeon give the woman a choreography, the dramatic toss of the hair, the hips gone concave, the Marlboro rasp in her voice. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 But then Davis meets up with his boss, Money, played by Nick Nolte with an old man’s jagged rasp as dramatic as his wry middle-aged intensity used to be. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2026

Verb

When the beetle takes flight, the woman, who is busy unpacking, doesn’t realize for a moment that there’s something out of place about that rasping ruckus, that foreign hum. — María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026 Thrips have rasping, sucking mouthparts. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rasp

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rasp

Noun

So in other words, those stacks of lottery tickets or scratch-offs on eBay may be benefitting a select group of people looking to bring their gambling wins home, tax free.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 11 has better battery life than its predecessor, a scratch-resistant screen, 5G support, and its own suite of health and lifestyle features.

— Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of scratch

Verb

For instance, Qidi had to include a piece of Velcro to prevent the Polar Cooler tube from rubbing against the glass surface inside the top cover.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
Gently rub the entire surface in small circular motions, then use a dry cloth to wipe down the entire surface.

— Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of rub

Verb

One group scraped the earth where the blacksmith shop was believed to have once stood.

— Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2026
In its complaint, the Freedom of the Press Foundation argued that Truth API could restrict its ability to scrape all the president’s posts and determine which are anti-media arguments – a core product that the group offers.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrape

Verb

Cue forward Josh Windass revealing on camera how James, as one of those who had worn the armband during the season, had approached him about setting up a meeting with just the players present.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Workers who spend hours outdoors, such as construction and farm workers, also commonly wear UPF clothing.

— Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of wear

Noun

The durable metal is also rust-resistant, and reviews say that despite its metal frame, creaks and squeaks are minimal.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026
Prairie grasses and bonnet strings whip in the wind as the creak of wagon wheels carries across the rippling grassland.

— Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 22 June 2026

Definition of creak

Verb

Lenti Ponsetto, after 18 years leading DePaul athletics—and 42 years overall at the private Big East school—announced her retirement in June 2020, just six weeks after Conviser filed her initial suit in Cook County court.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Frenkel said that if criminality is found in complex investigations such as this one, federal prosecutors will typically file mail or wire fraud charges that carry up to 20 years in prison.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of file

Verb

Not too much bugs him, but he sometimes is annoyed by his baby sister and doesn’t trust people who put pineapple on their pizza.

— Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
The indictment revealed that prosecutors had bugged the Aisenbergs' home for three months after Sabrina's disappearance.

— Curran Rastogi, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026